New Summer Hair with Peter Mark

I hope you’re all enjoying a relaxing Sunday, and not feeling to tender after last nights celebrations! What an exciting few days it has been for Ireland, I’m still on a total high from it.

You may have noticed on my instagram or snapchat (ciaraodoherty) that I underwent a little hair makeover on Tuesday. Going lighter is something I had been thinking about for a long time, but I was really unsure of where to start, and more importantly, if it would suit me.

I decided a beachy, ombre look would probably suit me best, since I knew I didn’t want anything too fussy and difficult to maintain. I also wanted some highlights mixed in with this, but I also wanted them to be low-maintenance, and not right up to my roots. Basically, I am the laziest person with my hair, but I still wanted something fun and fresh for the summer!

Having gotten the chance to meet and chat with the Peter Mark team at one of their blogger events recently, I was so impressed with them that I figured they would be perfect for the task.

I had a consultation with one of the stylists the week previous, and we decided on a custom highlighted/balayage style that would best fit my needs. Then I popped into the Grafton Street branch the following Tuesday for the treatment. Their downstairs salon is a little oasis among the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and I had so much fun with the team while there. I was delighted to learn that no immonia was used to achieve my look, which I always assumed was necessary when lightening hair.

The end result? Im SO happy with it! I don’t feel like the condition of my hair has suffered at all, and I  absolutely love the lighter colour. I feel like the colour changes depending on how the light hits it, and it looks beachy and bohemian, just how I wanted it to. I have also started using these two products to give it that nice tousled texture, they are both available to buy in Peter Mark salons.

I don’t know much about the technical side of what I had done, but John (experienced colourist and member of their marketing team) has kindly offered some great advice for those interested. So if you’re looking for your own custom balayage look this summer, then have a read and hopefully it will answer any questions!

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Thinking of Balayage? Here’s what you need to know:

There has been countless articles written about balayage and ombre this is in part due to the fact that with anything this bespoke there really are very few and fast rules so it can become confusing to describe and visualise the techniques. At Peter Mark we have been practicing and more importantly teaching the techniques over 10 years. So with that in mind this list of things for you to be mindful of when requesting any free hand technique maybe of help. 

Firstly have the right haircut. 

That doesn’t mean to say your hair must be long because mid length and short hair work equally as well. But it’s really important that in order for you to get the most out of the technique your hair cut has some form of layering. This is to create a sense of light and depth which will give the illusion of volume and texture showing off your colour. For example if your hair is long and one length your colour technique will get lost inside of the solid outline shape whereas even a subtle amount of layering will reveal the colour in the correct way.

Beware of your face shape and features. 

Although this may seem obvious in regards to cutting your hair it is just as important when applying colour. If you have a really strong jawline you would look to increase the lightness around this area a little to soften any unwanted strength in your face shape. Or say you have an oblong face you should try to concentrate your lightning around your cheek bones and temple area as this will add a little width to your face shape giving you a more flattering oval appearance. Another example is if you have a heart shape or triangle face shape (which means you’re wider in your temples and narrower around your chin area) you will want to focus your lightening around the chin area to create movement balancing out your face shape. Equally if you have features you wish to show off (say for instance like Ciara and her gorgeous eyes) you should try to focus your lightning or keep some depth around these areas depending on how naturally light or dark you are. The lighter you are the more depth you should leave and the darker you are the more lightening. 

Have a realistic goal for your lightness.

Having an achievable and realistic goal for the lightning you desire is a must. If you are really dark naturally, going superlight defeats the purpose of having the technique in the first place. Your colour should always be sophisticated and expensive looking.  By being mindful of the lightning process and in turn the condition of your hair this will increase the ease and longevity of manageability plus your hair will always get comments for the right reasons.

Stand out through your blending in.

The major difference between classic coloration and any free hand technique is the blending element. The better you’re blending the more fabulous the result will be and the more sophisticated your hair will look. The correct and beautiful blending is what makes this technique so consumer friendly and allows for such expansive periods between colour visits. In a conventional sense blending often refers to the root application down to the ends but it is equally important that you do not over lighten the ends as if you lighten the ends too much your hair will it appear fine and wispy and also make the contrast between the root area and the ends too extreme and the blending more difficult.

Jx